TURKISH PREMIER REFUSED TO JOIN EU RESOLUTION CONSIDERING ARMENIAN KILLINGS AS GENOCIDE

Pravda, Russia
Sept 28 2005

20:29 2005-09-28
Turkey’s prime minister on Wednesday rejected a European Parliament
resolution calling on Ankara to recognize the mass killings of
Armenians around the time of World War I as genocide.

The EU lawmakers said in their resolution that recognition of the
1915-1923 killings as genocide should be a prerequisite for Turkey
to join the European Union.

Armenians say that 1.5 million Armenians were killed by Ottoman Turks
around the time of World War I, which Armenians and several nations
around the world recognize as the first genocide of the 20th century.

Turkey denies that the massacres were genocide, saying the death toll
is inflated and Armenians were killed in civil unrest as the Ottoman
Empire collapsed, the AP reports.

Speaking to Turkish reporters in Abu Dhabi, Erdogan also reiterated
his view that the EU has to admit Turkey or risk being branded a
“Christian Club.”

“What will the EU achieve by admitting Turkey? It will become a bridge
between the 1.5-billion strong Muslim world and the EU. It will start
an alliance of civilizations,” he added.